Air sealing services in Hampton VA - insulation that isn't fighting a draft
Drafty rooms, a hot upstairs or a power bill that won't come down usually trace back to hidden gaps. We find them and close them.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Why is my house still drafty with insulation in the attic?
Air sealing in Hampton means closing the cracks, holes and gaps where air slips in and out of your house, because insulation slows heat but doesn't necessarily stop air from moving through it. Our crew seals those gaps, mostly the ones in the attic floor, so the rooms below feel steadier and the insulation can finally do its job.
Most people call us about one room, like the room over the garage or an upstairs bedroom that never feels right, or about a power bill that keeps climbing. The price turns on how many gaps there are, how deep the old insulation is that we have to work under, how easy your attic is to move around in and whether something has to be fixed first. The schedule turns on those same fixes and on whether the city wants a permit, and I lay out both in the written estimate after I've been up there. If the insulation itself is thin too, we can pair the sealing with attic insulation so it's all done in the right order.
What our air sealing service covers
I start by looking the attic over for anything that has to be dealt with before sealing, because attic sealing guidance puts things like a leaking roof, a bath fan blowing into the attic, old knob and tube wiring or vermiculite insulation at the top of the list. Then our crew pulls back the insulation at the spots air usually sneaks through, around can lights, pipes, wires, the chimney and the attic hatch, and seals each one with caulk, can foam or a piece of rigid blocking when the hole is too big for foam. After that we lay the insulation back down or top it up. Some leaks around doors and pipes you can handle yourself, and I'll point them out while I'm there, but the ones hiding under the attic insulation are the ones worth calling us for.
Air comes up from below the house too, so when the leaks start underneath, basement insulation and sealing along the foundation often go together. And if your ductwork runs through the attic, closed-cell foam insulation, a dense foam that also blocks moisture, can seal and insulate in one pass.
Seal the gaps, then top up loose fill
This suits most attics with no ducts or equipment up there, because sealing the gaps and topping up blown-in insulation, loose fill blown through a hose, does the job for less than foam. It's what I recommend in most houses.
Foam when the ducts live in the attic
If your ductwork or air handler sits in the attic, foam usually earns its higher price because it seals the air while it insulates and keeps those ducts inside the protected space. It costs more, so I only suggest it when that's your setup.
Air sealing services in Hampton and what we check first
Hampton's Development Services Center handles permits and inspections for the city, and you can apply with them online or call them at 757-727-8311. Whether an air sealing job on its own needs a permit isn't something I'd guess at, so I check with the center for your address before we start. When the city does call for one, we apply for it as the contractor and set up the inspections, so you're not chasing paperwork.
Around here we see a lot of older houses that had wiring, plumbing and lights added over the years, and each of those usually left a hole in the attic floor that nobody sealed. We're based in Hampton and work in the cities around it, and we find the same patched-together attics on jobs in Newport News and Poquoson. If you don't see your city on the site, give us a call and ask.
Why Hampton homeowners call A&J Hampton Insulation and Spray Foam for air sealing
The owner writes your estimate
I come out myself, look at the attic with you and write the estimate, and our lead installer runs the crew while I check in during the job. That way the person who made the promise is the one making sure the work matches it.
Learned beside the installers
I started out selling insulation jobs for another company, learned the trade working right beside the installers and opened our own shop in 2017. I'd rather explain your options and let you decide than give you the hard sell a lot of people got before they called us.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured, so the work in your attic is covered while we're up there. In Virginia, residential energy analysis, the work of evaluating how a house uses energy and recommending improvements, is licensed separately by the state's Board for Contractors, which is worth knowing if someone offers you an assessment.
If you've got a room that never feels right, send us a request or call (757) 367-8752 and I'll come have a look.
Request a quoteGet a free air sealing estimate for your Hampton house
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, done in person at your house, and there's no obligation to go ahead with it.
What happens after you call us about air sealing?
Call or send a request
Reach us at (757) 367-8752 or through the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time that works. Tell us which rooms feel drafty or hot so I know where to look first.
I look at the attic with you
I go through the attic, walls or crawl space with you and talk through what I find before I write anything down. You get a written estimate showing which leaks we'd seal, anything that needs fixing first and what each option costs.
Fixes and permits come first
When you're ready, we take care of anything that has to be repaired before sealing and handle the permit if the city calls for one. Sealing over a roof leak or a fan venting into the attic just traps the problem, so we do these first.
Our crew seals and walks you through
Our lead installer runs the crew that does the sealing, and I check in while the job is going on. At the end, the crew walks you through what was sealed and where.
Frequently asked questions
How much does air sealing cost in Hampton, VA?
The price depends on how many hidden gaps your house has and how hard they are to reach, so I give you a figure after I've been in the attic rather than over the phone. Deep old insulation to work under, a cramped attic, repairs that have to come first or adding insulation on top all push it up, and a roomy attic with a handful of big gaps keeps it down. The estimate is written, so you can look it over before you decide.
Can I seal air leaks in my house myself?
Yes, for the obvious ones, like gaps around door frames and where pipes, vents and wires come through outside walls. Doing it yourself won't catch the small, hard to find leaks, especially the ones in the attic under the insulation, and those are usually the ones behind a drafty upstairs.
How do professionals find hidden air leaks in a house?
Certified home energy assessors use a blower door test and thermal camera imaging to locate where air is getting in and out. For leaks you can't see, that testing shows where the sealing work should go.
Will air sealing affect my gas furnace or water heater?
It can, because fuel-burning appliances that don't get enough air run poorly and may release dangerous gases like carbon monoxide into the house. A tighter house may need fresh air brought in by a fan system, so we plan the ventilation along with the sealing whenever there's a gas, oil or propane appliance in your home.
Is there help in Virginia paying for air sealing?
Virginia's Department of Housing and Community Development runs a Weatherization Assistance Program that installs energy-saving work, and sealing air leaks is one of its common measures, along with adding insulation and repairing heating and cooling systems. If you think your household might fit the program, it's worth looking into before you hire anyone.
What is the best way to air seal an attic without blocking the vents?
Seal the gaps in the attic floor and leave the soffit, ridge and gable vents and any combustion air ducts open, because those openings are meant to move air. Buried vents at the eaves stop the attic from breathing and moisture can show up in the framing later, so our crew keeps them clear while we work.
Other work that often goes with air sealing
Basement insulation
Cold floors and drafts that start downstairs usually mean the leaks are coming up from below, not just down from the attic.
Closed-cell foam insulation
When ducts or equipment sit in the attic, this foam seals and insulates in one step and keeps moisture out too.
Hampton, VA
Book your air sealing visit in Hampton
Clear a path to the attic hatch and jot down the gas or oil appliances in your house before I come out, so we can look at the leaks and the ventilation in the same visit.